Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow...

I finally found some dark orange sweet potatoes! There they were, in a little shop in Bangkok, imported all the way from the US of A. I decided to buy two and see if they would grow in Cambodia. Here is a picture of one that I sprouted in water.

Dark orange sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A (and they are tasty!) and I have only found sweet potatoes in Cambodia that are light pink on the inside. We'll see if this new kind can grow in the Cambodian heat!

Another past ECHO intern came to visit me this week in Battambang. Joanna is living in Mondulkiri for 5 months helping some missionaries with various agriculture projects.

Monday we went out to the moringa orchard and watered the vegetables. CAMA rents the land from a Christian Cambodian couple and I always enjoy visiting with Om Ren and Om Leip.

This week at the middle school we planted rice using the SRI method (System of Rice Intensification), which uses less seed and less water but produces more grain. We also planted mung beans in the rest of the field to enrich the soil and to provide income for the school.

Thursday Joanna and I climbed the 700 steps up to Phnom Sampouv and this is the view. We were already drenched in sweat by 8:30am!

What I am learning...

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." This passage from Matthew 16:24 is coming alive to me in many ways. One way has come through reading a book called When Helping Hurts because it illustrates through scripture and real life examples what it means to minister in healthy, long term ways to the poor and the broken. I began seeing the attitudes and motivations of my heart that weren't aligned with the Lord's and I started praying that God would continue to bring me to a place where I can minister out of my own brokenness as I work alongside these amazing people in Cambodia. I strongly encourage those involved in outreach, specifically relief or development efforts, in their church, community or overseas to read this book because it is that important! It will save them and the people they want to help from needless hurt and pain and bring a more holistic perspective to bringing Christ's kingdom on earth.

The past 2 weeks at the middle school we have been openly sharing God's Story with our students. Dara and Saroth explained to the students about God creating the world and people, about people's disobedience, and about Christ coming to earth and sacrificing his life for all of us. After 6 months of building relationships with the students and staff, and teaching and working in the garden, it felt like we had an open door to begin sharing Christ in word. The students keep asking us to tell more of the story so we know they are listening. We pray the seed planted in their hearts will grow! How amazing is our God that he would bring this opportunity about!

A great video is available online explaining the CAMA Services moringa project here in Battambang (and in Burkina Faso). I work closely with the people in the video and it is such a blessing to be a part of what God is doing through these people and this work. Here is the link: http://www.camaservices.org/priority/trees-of-life.php

Praise to His Name!

Sharon, one of my teammates, and I at the CAMA World Retreat in Bangkok